Perfect Summer Day
by AR357
Summary: "It was a sunny summer day in 1984. Mike had been looking forward to this day for a while. With each breath of crisp summer air, he felt more and more invigorated. With each hill he crested, he felt his heart thumping away. But then again, maybe he was just thinking about what the day's events would hold." Mileven fluff.


**A/N: Rated T for language.**

* * *

It was a sunny summer day in 1984. Mike had been looking forward to this day for a while. Temperatures were in the low 70's, as it was still late morning. He had already gone about his morning routine, and scarfed down his breakfast, to the admonishment of his parents. As soon as he was done eating he sprung from the table and ran outside to where his bike rested against the house. He mounted, and with a shove, started pedaling to the Byers house.

As he pedaled he felt the wind blowing through his hair. With each breath of crisp summer air, he felt more and more invigorated. With each hill he crested, he felt his heart thumping away. But then again, maybe he was just thinking about what the day's events would hold. As he crested the final hill, the Byers house came into his view. He gave on last push on his pedals, and rode the hill down to the driveway.

As he coasted, he allowed himself a moment to catch his breath. Once he reached the driveway, he let his bike fall to the ground, and walked up to the door. He raised his fist to knock on the door, but hesitated. ' _Come on Mike! You've been waiting to do this forever! Just do it!'_ He took a deep breath, raised his hand once more, and knocked 3 times.

* * *

Eleven stood in front of the bathroom mirror, while Joyce was hard at work fixing the young girls hair., which was a little over 2 inches long. It wasn't long enough to do much with, but it did tend to stick up in random places. Before too long, Joyce had managed to smooth down the cow-licks.

"Are you nervous?" She asked El.

"A little." She admitted, looking down at her feet.

Joyce sighed and knelt down next to El. "Don't worry, you're going to have a great time!"

"But, what if I do something wrong?" She asked.

"Oh sweetie, this is Mike we're talking about. You can do no wrong in his eyes. Besides, even if you don't understand something, he'll just explain it to you." Joyce said.

El nodded, knowing Joyce was right. Even though the world outside the lab was so big and confusing, Mike had always been there to explain everything to her. And if he didn't know something, he went out of his way to find out, just so he could explain it to her. It made her feel... warm, just knowing she was cared for in such a way.

"Well, be waiting." Joyce said, looking at the wall clock. "Mike should be here any minute."

"Ok." El said, before walking into the living room, and sitting on the couch. She looked over to the coffee table, and saw the Millennium Falcon toy that Mike had given her. She focused on the toy, and made it fly around the room. She never understood why, but using her powers to do something simple like this was relaxing.

It wasn't too much longer before she heard gravel crunching outside. Using her powers, she set the toy back on the table. She peeked out the window, and saw Mike walking up to the door. She took a step towards the door, but stopped and glanced back to the toy. She grinned as she formed a plan in her head.

* * *

After Mike had knocked, there was a short silence before the knob slowly began to turn. The door slowly swung open, but no one was there. Then, Mike saw his Millennium Falcon toy flying towards him. He ducked out of the way as it went flying over his head, and landed in the gravel behind him. He looked up, and saw El in the doorway trying to suppress her giggles.

"Yeah, yeah, very funny. Using your powers against me." He said as his cheeks turned red. He walked over to where the toy had landed, and picked it up. As he walked back to El, he noticed a small bead of blood under her nose, and pulled a tissue out of his pocket.

"Here." He said, handing her the toy and tissue. She put the tissue to her nose, and walked back inside to put the toy on the table.

"Mama?" El called out. "We're leaving."

Joyce walked into the living room from the hallway. "Alright sweetie, have fun." She said as she knelt down to hug El.

As soon as they broke the hug, El grabbed Mike by the wrist and dragged him out the door, closing it behind her with her mind.

"Woah El, slow down! We've got time." Mike said with a chuckle as he picked his bike up off the ground.

"But I don't want to miss the game!" El said.

"Don't worry, we've got plenty of time. The game won't start for another hour and a half." He said as he mounted the bike, and motioned for El to get on. After El got on, Mike pushed off, and headed down the road to town.

While they rode, El watched as the trees passed by them. She had her arms around Mike's midsection, and the side her face between his shoulder blades. She saw a shortcut through Mirkwood, and told Mike to take it.

After he made the turn, she leaned up to his ear. "Keep going, and hold on."

She focused her energy on the bike, and lifted it a few inches off the ground.

"Woah!" Mike exclaimed. El held them up for a few more seconds, before gently putting them back on the ground. Once they were safely on the ground, Mike came to a stop. "Are you ok El?" He asked.

"Yes." She said, pulling out the tissue from earlier.

"You're getting stronger!" He observed.

"I wanted to surprise you." She said, her cheeks starting to turn pink.

"Well, a flying bicycle is a heck of a surprise." He said laughing to himself. "Anyway, we should get going again. And try not to use your powers anymore. You don't want to be tired for your first baseball game." El nodded, and they started off once again, heading for the Hawkins baseball field.

Mike knew that up to this point, much of El's experience of the outside world was from watching TV. While he was at school, El would be at home watching anything that she could, studying the words, and actions of the people on the screen. And if there was something she didn't understand, Mike always came over after school, and explained it. But the thing she loved watching most of all, was baseball. She loved it as much as she loved Eggos, maybe even more! So when Mike heard that a couple of the local baseball teams were going to play, he decided he would take her, even if he didn't care for baseball all that much.

The two continued on, until they got to the field, with plenty of time left until the game started. So they found a light pole, and chained up the bike. After the bike was secure, Mike led El over to the concession stand, and bought some peanuts, cracker jack, and two bottles of Pepsi. After getting their snacks, they went to find a good seat in the bleachers.

After they had sat down, they killed time by talking. It was mostly Mike talking, and El clinging on to his every word. Before either of them knew it, the players took the field. The event wasn't sanctioned, so there was no national anthem.

El was on the edge of her seat for the duration of the game, jumping up and yelling in excitement when the Hawkins Tigers star player scored a home run. The game ran for 3 hours, before the Tigers won 6-4. After the players met on the field and shook hands, Mike and El got up, threw away their trash, and went back to the pole where the bike was chained. When they got there, Mike knelt down and opened the lock, but was interrupted by an all to familiar voice.

"Hey! Frogface! Taking the freak out for some fresh air?!" Troy yelled.

 _'Why him?'_ Mike thought. _'Why now?'_ He looked over at El and shook his head, as if to tell her not to use her powers.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" Troy said, as he advanced on Mike.

El saw him coming and and got in his path.

"Aww... Isn't that adorable? The freak protecting her boyfriend." Troy said in a mocking tone. "I'm only going to tell you once. Get out of my way."

"No." El said, standing her ground.

Troy smirked, then grabbed her by the shoulders and threw her to the ground. He raised his foot ready to kick her.

Mike saw this, and his vision went red. "RAAAAHHH!" Mike yelled as he charged Troy. He hooked his arm around his neck, and brought him to the ground. Once he was on the ground, Mike put one hand around Troy's throat, balled his other hand into a fist, and punched him in the face.

"DON'T! YOU! EVER! TOUCH! HER! YOU! BASTARD!" Mike screamed, punching Troy again with every word. Mike brought his arm back to punch him again, but someone grabbed his arm. Mike turned his head and released Troy's throat, ready to deck whoever was stopping him, but faltered when he saw El's eyes drilling into his own.

"Mike." She said in a calm voice. "It's enough."

Mike looked back to Troy, who was gasping for breath,with a broken and bloody nose. He then looked at his own hand, which was covered in Troy's blood.

"...You're right." Mike said, as he pulled a tissue out of his pocket to wipe the blood off his hand. He looked back to Troy, dug out another tissue, and dropped it on the ground next to him. Without saying a word, he walked back to his bike, motioned for El to get on, and set off.

They both kept quiet during the ride back, as neither one of them were sure what to make of what had happened. They took the Mirkwood shortcut again, and a few minutes after making the turn Mike spoke up.

"El... I... I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. When I saw him throw you down, I just... lost it. I didn't mean to-"

"Mike." El said, cutting him off. "You protected me. He could have hurt me. But you didn't let him."

"No one gets to hurt you ever again El. No one." He said, his voice full of determination. El felt the warm feeling returning when she heard him.

The rest of the ride back was just like the ride there. Both of them taking in the scenery, while leaves and sticks crunched under the tires. It wasn't too much longer before they were back at the Byers house. Mike rode up a few feet away from the front porch, and stopped to let El off. After she was off, he followed suit, and laid the bike on the ground, before walking her to the front door.

El turned around to look Mike in the eye. "Thank you for taking me to the game Mike."

"You're welcome. I'm just sorry I ruined it at the end." Mike said looking down.

El put a finger to Mike's chin and made him look at her. "No Mike. You saved me, do you understand? You saved me." She said, smiling. Before Mike could say anything else, she used her powers to pull him closer, and put her lips on his. Mike's eyes shot open in surprise, and after a moment El released him. Both of their faces were beet red.

"S... see you later Mike." She said as she went inside. It was a moment before Mike could collect his thoughts. And when he did, he broke out into a dopey grin, before getting back on his bike and going home. While El, unknown to Mike, was watching him leave through the curtains.

Joyce walked into the living room, and saw El standing by the window. "Oh, hey sweetie. How was your day?" She asked.

El stayed quiet for a moment, trying to think of a word to describe how the day had been. The bike ride with Mike, her first real baseball game, Mike protecting her from Troy, _kissing_ Mike. She decided there was only one word for how the day was.

"Perfect."

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 **A/N: I wrote this story because I've hit writer's block on 'I'm Sorry El' something fierce. If you're waiting on that to be updated, it's coming, slowly but surely. Until then!**


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